ROOKIE Simone Fontecchio made a last-second, game-winning dunk just after Malik Beasley hit a 3-pointer as the Utah Jazz scored five points in the final 7.8 seconds to earn an improbable 124-123 victory over the Golden State Warriors on Wednesday (Thursday in Manila) in Salt Lake City.
Jordan Poole led all scorers with 36 points in a game in which both teams were missing key players.
Poole made 1 of 2 free throws with 13.3 seconds remaining to give the Warriors a seemingly safe four-point lead after they trailed by 11 early in the fourth quarter, but the Jazz then pulled off a win with a wild ending.
The late rally began with the 3-pointer from Beasley with 7.8 seconds to go. Nickeil Alexander-Walker then gave the Jazz life with 4.3 seconds remaining by stealing the ball from Poole in a frantic moment. The ball was advanced to Beasley, who connected with Fontecchio for the game-winning bucket with 1.4 seconds left.
In other games, it was the Celtics 125, Suns 98; Grizzlies 123, Thunder 102; Bucks 126, Kings 113; Nets 122, Hornets 116; Magic 116, Clippers 111 (OT); Raptors 126, Lakers 113; Bulls 115, Wizards 111; Pelicans 104, Pistons 98; Knicks 113, Hawks 89; and Wolves 121, Pacers 115.
Celtics 125, Suns 98
Boston looked like the best team in the NBA, turning in a dominant effort at Phoenix. Five players scored in double figures for the Celtics, who had a 45-point lead with 5:30 remaining in the third quarter.
Boston’s Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum each scored a team-high 25 points. The Celtics raised their road record to 10-3 and improved to 7-0 against Western Conference teams.
Josh Okogie led the Suns with 28 points off the bench, and Devin Booker scored 17. Chris Paul returned after missing 14 games due to a heel injury, and he finished with four points, four assists and four rebounds in 24 minutes.
Grizzlies 123, Thunder 102
Ja Morant had 26 points, a career-high-tying 13 rebounds and 11 assists to lead Memphis to an easy win over visiting Oklahoma City, the Grizzlies’ fourth straight and sixth in their last seven games.
Morant took over in the third quarter after Oklahoma City trimmed the Memphis lead to 75-73 with 5:37 left. He scored seven consecutive points, in a variety of ways. Morant got to the free-throw line, drained a 3-pointer and hit a finger roll as the Grizzlies stretched their lead to nine, their biggest of the game at the time.
Morant clinched the triple-double with a steal and feed to Brandon Clarke for a dunk with just more than three minutes remaining. The triple-double was the second of the season and sixth of Morant’s career, setting the Grizzlies’ all-time mark since the franchise moved to Memphis. — Field Level Media
